Daily Sound Bite: Monsanto Goes to Court Over a Hill of Beans

A 75-year-old Indiana farmer is David to Monsanto's Goliath in an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have broad-reaching impacts on the future of patent law. Vernon Hugh Bowman planted Monsanto's Roundup Ready seeds legally, but he also planted late-season seeds purchased from a grain elevator. Monsanto sued him claiming his practice violated the company's patent, but farmers looking to plant traditional seeds now have few options before them. Bill Freese, a science policy analyst from Center for Food Safety, said,

"It has become extremely difficult for farmers to find high-quality conventional seeds."